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The Magna Carta was then reissued again in 1217, by which time the council of King Henry III had time to properly reconsider each of its provisions.
Throughout the 13th century, King John's successors would amend and reissue the Magna Carta. The first amendment came already in 1216, shortly after King John's death.
Although the charter would continue to be revised and reissued throughout the 13th century, already by 1225 it had become an important symbol of resistance against oppression.
His young son Henry III acceded to the throne and, under threat from King Louis VIII of France who was trying to gain control of England, Henry reissued the Magna Carta.
For years before the Magna Carta was signed, they had been putting pressure on the king to sign a document that would recognize the traditional rights of the people.
The charter came about as the result of pressure from the country's barons, who had been unhappy for decades at how the nation was being governed.
An initial draft of the document that would become the Magna Carta was read in 1213, and the final version was accepted by the King John and the barons on June 19, 1215.
When people talk about the signing of the Magna Carta, they often use dramatic imagery to paint a picture of the king of England signing a document that allowed his people to declare war on their own king. And, in effect, that is what it did. However, the signing of the Magna Carta is about much more than the drama of the moment. In fact, it was a defining period in history, although people may not have recognized it as so at the time.
This relatively extensive document was the first successful attempt to curtail the king's power, and it granted ordinary people many of the rights and liberties that are still enshrined in constitutions today. Curious? Check out this gallery to find out more.
Historians consider King Henry III's reissuing of the Magna Carta as an attempt to remind barons of their allegiance to their rightful king. The 1216 version of the document was considerably shorter than its predecessor.
In June 1215, under threat of civil war, the despotic King John of England signed the Magna Carta. Little did he know that it was a defining moment in history.
The charter was a compromise, but it nonetheless contained very important clauses that would go on to form the basis of Anglo-American jurisprudence.
In 17th-century England, this clause provided the inspiration for two important pieces of legislation: the Petition of Right (1628) and the Habeas Corpus Act (1679).
Now, let's take a quick look at some of the rights enjoyed by contemporary US citizens that can be traced back to this influential 13th-century charter.
Of course, we cannot assume that without this document these rights would not have otherwise come into existence. Nonetheless, the significance of the Magna Carta is hard to overstate.
Then, in the 18th century, when the English colonies in North America were drawing up their own fundamental laws, they also took inspiration from the Magna Carta.
One of the most influential clauses of the 1215 version of the Magna Carta was clause 39. It promised far-reaching protections of liberties.
Indeed, excerpts of the charter had been read so many times in shire courts across the land that memorable phrases were invoked in later documents.
Already in the 13th century it was apparent that the Magna Carta would have long-lasting implications, and there is no doubt that history may have looked very different without it.
At the same time, whenever the men of England felt that their liberties were in danger, they would invoke the Magna Carta as an instrument of self-defense.
Indeed, the basic rights embedded in the Constitution of the United States of America (1789) and the Bill of Rights (1791) all echo the Magna Carta.
Clause 39 of the Magna Carta (1215) reads: "No free man shall be arrested or imprisoned or disseised or outlawed or exiled or in any way victimised, neither will we attack him or send anyone to attack him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land."
It seems fair to say, then, that the Magna Carta was a very influential document. There is no telling what would have happened if it hadn't been signed, but certainly there would be a different legal precedent for many of the concepts that underpin modern constitutions.
Sources: (National Archives Foundation) (Britannica)
See also: Strange facts you didn't know about the US Constitution
The rule of law, which is a key principle in the US Constitution, was also inspired by the Magna Carta. The basic idea here is that no one is above the law, not even rulers.
And, finally, it should be noted that the general concept of limited government power, which is central to the American Constitution, has its roots in the Magna Carta.
Then we have the concept of no taxation without representation, which is seen reflected in the Constitution's requirement for revenue bills.
This takes inspiration from clause 12 of the Magna Carta, which restricted the king's ability to levy taxes on his subjects without their consent.
The 1215 charter was the first successful challenge to absolute monarchical authority, and it paved the way for constitutional government as we know it today.
The concept of due process has its roots in the previously mentioned clause 39 of the Magna Carta, and is a fundamental concept in American jurisprudence.
The Eighth Amendment protection against excessive punishment (it prohibits "excessive fines" and "cruel and unusual punishments") can be traced back to clauses 20 and 21 of the Magna Carta.
Next up we have the Sixth Amendment right to a "speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury." This can be traced directly back to the Magna Carta, which promised assurance of judgment by one's peers.
First up is the concept of due process. This is enshrined in the Fifth Amendment guarantee that no person shall be "deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."
What would have happened if the Magna Carta had never been signed?
Learn about the roots of many modern freedoms
LIFESTYLE History
When people talk about the signing of the Magna Carta, they often use dramatic imagery to paint a picture of the king of England signing a document that allowed his people to declare war on their own king. And, in effect, that is what it did. However, the signing of the Magna Carta is about much more than the drama of the moment. In fact, it was a defining period in history, although people may not have recognized it as so at the time.
This relatively extensive document was the first successful attempt to curtail the king's power, and it granted ordinary people many of the rights and liberties that are still enshrined in constitutions today. Curious? Check out this gallery to find out more.